Amid Beth Wood hit-and-run controversy, spokesperson for NC auditor resigns
A spokesperson for State Auditor Beth Wood said he turned in his notice of resignation Friday, two days after news of Wood being charged last month in a hit-and-run crash was first reported.
Lane Rosen, an information and communications specialist with the state auditor’s office, confirmed to The News & Observer on Monday that he submitted his two-week notice of resignation on Friday.
Rosen said his resignation was “already planned” and “unrelated” to the hit-and-run incident. Asked why he decided to leave his position at the auditor’s office, Rosen said it was for a “personal reason.”
On Saturday, Rosen posted a public video on TikTok in which he said he was quitting his job.
“Come with me to quit my state government job working as a communications specialist for an elected official who just got charged with a misdemeanor hit-and-run,” Rosen says in the 27-second video.
Later in the video, Rosen appears to be sitting at a desk in the auditor’s office.
“Now, in my office, waiting for the right time, in between the onslaught of media calls,” Rosen says.
He then shows a copy of his resignation letter, stating, “I have written the letter, and now I am simply too anxious to give it to them.”
“Here we go,” Rosen says as he walks down a hallway. The video ends with Rosen stating, “I did it, and now I’m off to hike the Appalachian Trail.”
After The N&O contacted Rosen Monday morning, the TikTok video appeared to have been taken down. Its link leads to a page saying that the video is “currently unavailable.”
Rosen joined the auditor’s office as an executive assistant to Wood in June 2021, and took on the role as a communications specialist in June 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Wood apologizes
Rosen’s resignation comes amid increased pressure on Wood to explain what happened during the Dec. 8 crash.
Wood did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The N&O last week, but on Monday, released a statement in which she said she was driving from a holiday gathering in downtown Raleigh that night when she “inadvertently” crashed her vehicle into a car parked on the side of the road.
“I was shaken by the incident and, when I was unable to move my vehicle, I left the scene,” Wood said in the statement. “That was a serious mistake and I regret my decision.”
Wood, who has served as state auditor since 2009, sits on the Council of State, the group of 10 statewide elected officials that meets monthly.
On Monday, the North Carolina Republican Party called on Wood to resign.
“While the car accident may have been a mistake, the decision to sneak away from the scene was intentional and wholly unbecoming of an elected official,” the N.C. GOP posted on Twitter.
“North Carolina deserves better from their State Auditor. Beth Wood should resign.”
Another call for Wood to resign was spotted over the weekend in Youngsville, about 25 miles north of Raleigh, where a billboard showed a graphic of one car on top of another and said, “In a hit in run and need help? Call 1-800-RESIGN.” A photo of the billboard was posted on Twitter by a reporter for Axios Raleigh.
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This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Amid Beth Wood hit-and-run controversy, spokesperson for NC auditor resigns."
